Electrical circuitry systems are commonly an integral part of data processing and other types of equipment. A typical electrical circuitry system will comprise a collection of components which, when connected together in an appropriate manner, will establish a desired electrical flow pattern. For example, an electrical circuitry system will often include a component defining a primary circuit surface, such as a mother board, and a component defining a companion circuit surface, such as a daughter card. Some more complex electrical circuitry systems may further include a plurality of companion circuit surfaces and/or daughter cards.
The component defining the primary circuit surface is usually, although not always, of a rigid, planar, construction and contains a set of primary electrical contacts arranged in a primary-contact pattern. Likewise, the component defining the companion circuit surface will typically be of a rigid, planar construction, and, in the assembled system, will usually extend perpendicularly from the primary circuit surface. In any event, the companion circuit surface will contain a set of companion electrical contacts arranged in a companion-contact pattern.
When the corresponding primary and companion contacts are electrically coupled together, electrical signals will be transmitted from component to component. Thus establishing the desired electrical connection between such contacts is crucial in the assembly of an electrical circuitry system. To this end, such systems will usually include interfacing and/or connecting components which function to electrically couple the primary circuit surface to the companion circuit surface.
The interfacing component, whatever its form, will usually include a set of primary-interfacing contacts and a set of companion-interfacing contacts. Each of the companion-interfacing contacts will be electrically connected in some manner to a corresponding primary-interfacing contact. The primary-interfacing contacts are arranged in a pattern corresponding to the primary contact pattern; the companion-interfacing contacts are arranged in a pattern corresponding to the companion contact pattern. In a typical application, the various contact patterns, or artwork, will be very elaborate and the electrical contacts will be very small in size. By way of example, the density setting of the contacts may be in the range of 200 contacts per inch.
In recent years, flexible circuit film has been a desirable choice as an interfacing component in an electrical circuitry system. A typical strip of flexible circuit film will be comprised of printed circuitry on a thin, pliable substrate, and the "bendable" nature of the substrate will allow the necessary degree of movement between sections of the flexible circuit strip without affecting the electrical integrity of the interfacing component or circuit surface. The current popularity in flexible circuit film is especially apparent when the contact patterns are of a very high density setting, such as 200 contacts per inch. Flexible circuit strips are being increasingly used due to their ability to provide a high density interconnect with controlled impedance.
In any event, when a flexible circuit strip is used as an interfacing component, it will commonly include a primary-interfacing section containing the set of primary-interfacing contacts and a companion-interfacing section containing the set of companion-interfacing contacts. The desired electrical transmission between the mother board and the daughter card is accomplished by mating a board, or primary, contact with the corresponding primary-interfacing contact, and by mating the corresponding companion-interfacing contact with the corresponding card, or companion, contact. When an electrical connection is accomplished for each array of corresponding electrical contacts, the desired electrical connection will be established between each board contact and card contact.
Thus, to insure that the proper electrical connection is made between the mother board and the daughter card, the proper alignment of the board contacts relative to the primary-interfacing contacts, and the proper alignment of the card contacts relative to the companion-interfacing contacts, is very important. To accomplish this proper alignment, the components will usually be provided with coordinating alignment elements, or registrants which are precisely positioned relative to the electrical contacts. When the registrants are mated, or "registered", in the correct manner, the primary-interfacing contacts will be precisely positioned relative to the board, or primary, contacts. Additionally, the companion-interfacing contacts will be precisely positioned relative to the card or companion contacts.
In addition to an interfacing component, an electrical circuitry system will commonly include a connection component. The connection component, although usually not containing any electrical contacts itself, will be designed to electrically couple the interfacing component to the primary circuit surface and/or companion circuit surface. As such, the connection device may also include registrants for coordination with the registrants of the other components in their alignment together in the system.
Due to the precise positioning of the alignment members in relation to the respective electrical contacts, the coordination therebetween will result in the desired transmission of electrical signals between the primary circuit surface and the companion circuit surface. However, in this regard, it is important to note that although the registrants are precisely located relative to the relevant electrical contacts, the positioning of the registrants, and thus the electrical contacts, may not be precisely aligned relative to the overall geometry of the respective component. For example, the registrants on the mother board and/or the daughter card may not be precisely positioned relative to the pertinent edges of these components.
Thus, to insure proper electrical alignment in an electrical circuitry system, it must be possible to mate, or register, registrants which are not precisely aligned relative to the overall geometry of the respective component. Any necessary adjustments would preferably be made by the interfacing or connecting component rather than the rigid components of the electrical circuitry system, such as the mother board and the daughter card. To this end, it is noted that if a flexible circuit strip is used as an interfacing component, the flexible nature of the strip would allow such manipulation without affecting the integrity of its electrical contacts. However, in most connection components, no provision has been made to provide individual floating registration of the flexible circuit strip.
Applicants, therefore, believe that a need exists for an improved connection device for electrically coupling a primary circuit surface to a companion circuit surface via an interfacing circuit surface. Such an improved connection device would be preferably designed so that it may be used with interfacing circuit surfaces having relatively short lead lengths resulting in high electrical performance and low cost. Additionally, a construction which reduces tolerance build-up is desirable so that a high interconnect density is possible. Still further, a connection device design which made the device easy to install and replace in the field, would be helpful in the assembly of electrical circuitry systems.